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Lecturers 2020

Mette Borg – Dramaturg, director, Mag. Art.

Mette Borg is an educated dramaturg and theater historian. Since this year, she has been a teacher at The National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen for 30 years and has inspired and guided some of the country’s greatest actors. She has also been teaching opera history and character analysis at the Opera Academy for many years. Furthermore, she actively works as a director and recently, she had great success with the production of a play about Clara and Robert Schumann, with script written by the Danish composer Karl Aage Rasmussen. When she is not teaching or directing, she works as an advisor for many singers and actors who seek her guidance in understanding a role and the material they are working on. Moreover, she holds lectures and writes articles for theater programs, journals, and books. She has published the book: “Herman Bang – Theatrical view and method”. Ever since the beginning of Nordic Song Festival in 2014, Mette has inspired many, both participants and audience with her enchanting lectures.
>> Download lecture: 3 Norwegian geniuses ©copyright Mette Borg
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>> Download lecture: Memories – A source for creativity and a theme in lieder, romances, songs, opera, and drama ©copyright Mette Borg
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>> Download lecture: Method and analysis – to open up the material ©copyright Mette Borg
>> Go to lecture Wednesday August 12 at 6PM

Jakob Thonander Glans – Student Composer

Jakob Thonander Glans was born in Oslo and is now studying musical composition at the Academy of Music in Gothenburg. He recently studied abroad in Warsaw. In addition to studying composition, he is also an electric guitarist and a conductor, e.g. SMASK in Gothenburg 2019. The Opera 4-punks-ensemble originally comes from the Oslo area. The ensemble consists of Matilde Lærum (director), Aksel Frisnes (barytone), Alexandra Khazaie (mezzo), Astri Alise Rødland (soprano), Pål Rullestad (tenor), Siril Borring Låstad (saxophone), Quan-Nam Huynh (piano), and Jakob Thonander Glans (electric guitar).
>> Go to lecture Tuesday August 11 at 6PM

Mats Jansson – Pianist

Mats Jansson has had and still has an extensive career as a soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and orchestral musician around Sweden, Europe, as well as US and Japan. He also teaches piano, chamber music and rehearsal studies.
>> Download lecture: Accompanist – Fellow Passenger ©copyright Mats Jansson
>> Go to lecture Friday August 14 at 6PM

Gisle Kverndokk – Composer of the Year

Gisle Kverndokk (1967) studied composition at Norwegian Academy of Music and at The Juilliard School in New York. Together with the librettist Øystein Wiik, he has written several musicals and operas which have been produced in Norway, Germany, Austria, and US. Their musical “Martin L.” (2008) was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize. Together with the librettist, Ivar Tindberg, Kverndokk has written several operas. Among these is the radio opera “Bokken Lasson – Sensible Progress”, which won Prix Italia 2000. Their musical “Ruth Maier” (2015) was played in New York and Washinton DC. The children’s opera “Purriot and the lost bronze horse”, libretto by Bjørn Rørvik premiered at the Norwegian Opera and Ballet in May 2018 and won the Critics Award for music the same year. Kverndokk has worked with all the great orchestras in Norway, and in 2000 he won composer of the year of Trondheim Orchestra. In 1992 he won the Juilliard Composers Competition, and in 1993 he won the first prize for composers under 30 years of age at Paris ROSTRUM. “Symphonic dances” written for Stavanger Symphony Orchestra was released by SSO Recordings in 2018 and was nominated for the Spellemann- and Grammy award. Gisle Kverndokk won “Author of the year” at the Norwegian Music Publishing Prize 2019 (Musikkforleggerprisen).
>>Download lecture: My music ©copyright Gisle Kverndokk